Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have heard an awful lot over the last number of years of the importance of grandparents and extended families and trying to get children placed with grandparents and extended family first as opposed to, say, necessarily going into the foster care system.

In order to get grandparents and extended family members compensated for when they do take a child, we have put in an expedited referral process, so an expedited assessment process, for family members so that we can consider them foster parents and place the children with extended family, e.g. grandparents. This can be done through voluntary agreements, as well, so it doesn't have to go to court. It might, if it is an apprehension, but if it is a voluntary service agreement, it would not.

We have got evidence. We have been able to do this for some clients, and we are looking at continuing to do that to make it easier for grandparents and extended families to be part of the solution and help keep kids in their communities, in their regions, living their culture. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have recently encountered a situation like this, and the individual was not able to get support for him and his wife taking three children, so I would like to maybe find out -- I will do this separately. I don't think we need to talk about that here. If there is an expedited approval process, I will go to the Minister privately to get that so that these individuals can get hold of the proper officials. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Minister would like to respond.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it is important that we don't talk about individual or specific cases, so I appreciate the Member is going to come, and we can try to work on the resolution for his constituent.

Having said that, there is still an approval process and there are reasons that an individual or family may not be approved. At the end of the day, we have to focus on the best interests of the kids. So, although we have an expedited approval process, it doesn't mean everybody is approved every time. We still have to focus on the best interests, safety, health, well-being, of the child, just so we are all aware that it does not mean it is guaranteed every time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, one more question: are individuals living in public housing eligible to be foster parents?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, they are eligible. I am not 100 per cent certain whether it actually impacts the rent that they might pay, because they are paid some money. I don't believe it does, but I would really need to verify that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Thank you. Yes, absolutely, Mr. Chair. I will get the committee that information. The reason I am not saying hard and fast is I remember us having a discussion around this in the past, and I am pretty sure that we dealt with it so that foster support wouldn't be counted against rent, but I honestly can't remember what the resolution on that was. So I will get the committee and the Member that information. I am pretty sure we dealt with it, but let me get it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Seeing nothing further from Mr. Beaulieu, I believe I have Mr. Vanthuyne next on my list.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am just wondering, on page 172, the program detail entitled Adult Support Services for the amount of $1.287 million, we describe the adult support services as programs such as the day shelters, transitional housing, life and career development skills for adults. I wonder, maybe, can the Minister provide some explanation as to where the $1.287 million is being expended in the expenditure category below? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Some of those dollars are going to a number of different group homes around the Northwest Territories. Some of it is compensation. I can certainly get the Member the specific detail on which group homes and which areas those dollars are going into. I will commit to getting that to committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Just for the future consideration of all of these documents, it might be a good idea for the departments to have this type of information on hand because, so far, we have had to set aside a few discussion items because that information wasn't available and it was promised at a later date. Just a note for the future. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To be fair, and with respect to the point you are raising, that is not information that I am going to require, just so the Minister is aware; that is not what I am asking. Further to my point that I was raising, I don't require that information at this point, but I am just wondering, maybe, is this the pot then that we have Housing First as an initiative that we are supporting as a government along with the City of Yellowknife? To my understanding, now they are up to 10 people enrolled in the Housing First program. The territorial government has advocated in the past that we will support on an as-and-when-needed basis wraparound services for those who are in Housing First. I am just wondering: is this adult support services pot the pot where those as-and-when-needed support services for Housing First would come from? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister.

Thank you. Adult support services is basically the opposite of public guardian, and some group homes are basically what those dollars are being spent on. We don't have a budget for Homes First. Any clinical support work we are providing is provided through on clinical lines, not allocated in this particular area. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.

That is good. I appreciate the explanation. No further questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. I have no one further on my list. Mr. Thompson.